NEWS
Mar 19, 2010 - TOUGH TALK, TOUGH LOVE
James A. Baker, III, honorary chair of the Baker Institute, and Ambassador Edward Djerejian, founding director of the Baker Institute, are featured in an article on diplomatic relations between the United States and Israel, past and present. The article also discusses the recent Baker Institute report, “Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an Israel-Palestinian Peace Settlement.”
Mar 10, 2010 - ENGAGING THE PUBLIC
The Civic Scientist Program at the Baker Institute is based on the premise that a more informed and engaged public will lead to improved science policy in both the private and public sector. Neal Lane, Ph.D., the senior fellow for science and technology policy and former director of the National Science Foundation and science adviser to President Clinton, describes the “civic scientist” as “a true scientist who uses his or her knowledge, accomplishments and skills to help bridge the gap between science and society.” Below are links to two précis, or summaries, discussing the careers of Lane and Stephen Minger, Ph.D., who played a pivotal role in building support in the United Kingdom for stem cell research. Read about Neal Lane in “Neal Lane, Civic Scientist and Mentor.”
Feb 02, 2010 - Mapping the Territorial Contours of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Settlement
The Baker Institute published on Feb. 2, 2010, a report that offers concrete recommendations to U.S. negotiators on the territorial component of an Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement. The report, “Getting to the Territorial Endgame of an Israeli-Palestinian Peace Settlement,” draws on nearly two years of discussions between a working group of Israelis and Palestinians convened under the aegis of the institute’s Conflict Resolution Forum and chaired by Baker Institute Founding Director Edward P. Djerejian. The Israeli and Palestinian participants in the discussions were former officials, both civilian and military, academics, experts from various organizations and individuals from the private sector. Drawing on their deliberations and the proposed options for a final territorial agreement, the report finds that a United States bridging proposal on the territorial component of peace based on the line of June 4, 1967, with agreed-upon swaps and modifications could be introduced at the right time and, depending on actual political circumstances, serve as a guide to enable gradual progress, step by step. The contours of this territorial bridging proposal are outlined in the report, as well as the need to prepare the necessary planning tools to achieve a successful outcome. Exploring the phasing of the relocation and dismantlement of settlements over a period of time will be an important part of any compromise solution. “No agreement will please every constituency on either side,” said Djerejian, who is a former U.S. ambassador to Syria and to Israel, as well as former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs. “But this report can provide the respective governments with a heads up on significant problems and contentious issues that they most likely will encounter in actual negotiations, and, at the same time, provide insights into where differences could be narrowed and agreements reached.” Read the complete report here. Comment on the Baker Institute Blog.
Jan 29, 2010 - Baker Institute again named among top U.S. think tanks
The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the University of Pennsylvania has once again ranked Rice University’s James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy among the top 50 think tanks in the United States. The 2009 Global Go To Think Tank Rankings, launched Jan. 28, 2010, evaluated more than 6,000 think tanks that were nominated globally, of which nearly 400 (up from 288 in 2008) were ranked by an international panel of 300 experts. The organizations were ranked according to “rigor and relevance of the research and analysis produced, scale of operations, breadth of audience and financial support, contribution of research and analysis to public debate and the policy making process, and the organization’s overall impact on public policy.” The project, “grew out of the never-ending requests I receive from journalists, scholars and government officials to provide a list of the leading think tanks in a particular country or region of the world,” TTSCP director James McGann, Ph.D., writes in the report’s introduction. “Over the last 4 years the process has been refined and the number of institutions and individuals involved in the project has grown steadily.” To learn more about the project, please visit UPenn’s International Relations Program Web site.
Jan 25, 2010 - ROBERT MOSBACHER REMEMBERED
The James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy mourns the loss of The Honorable Robert A. Mosbacher, Sr. Mr. Mosbacher was a great friend and supporter of the institute. A successful businessman, civic leader and U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President George H.W. Bush, he also spearheaded the institute’s Robert A. Mosbacher Global Issues Lecture Series. The program promotes important and constructive dialogue on the role of international trade and commerce in the global economy. “Robert Mosbacher was a true philanthropist and his commitment to our community will be long remembered,” said Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian, the institute’s founding director. “We are honored to host a program in his name as a fitting tribute to his legacy as a businessman and public servant.”
Robert A.
Mosbacher, Sr., the 28th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, right,
talks with Carlos Gutierrez, the 35th U.S. Secretary of Commerce, at
the Baker Institute in 2008. Gutierrez discussed the future of free
trade agreements as part of the Robert A. Mosbacher Global Issues
Series.
Jan 14, 2010 - HASIB SABBAGH REMEMBERED
It is with great sadness that the James A. Baker III Institute notes the passing of Hasib Sabbagh, a prominent Palestinian businessman and philanthropist and a long-time supporter of the institute. Sabbagh endowed the institute’s Diana Tamari Sabbagh Chair in Middle Eastern Studies in memory of his late wife. The chair has most recently been held by Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, the first woman to hold a seat on the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, and by Dr. Sari Nusseibeh, currently president of Al-Quds University in Jerusalem. Born in 1920 in Palestine, Sabbagh was the founder, director and chairman of the CCC Group, one of the Middle East's largest and most highly respected construction companies. He was active in political life as a member of the Palestine National Council and the Palestine Central Council, and believed in peace based on a two-state solution. Sabbagh was also a strong supporter of philanthropic causes, serving as chairman for the Palestinian Student Fund and deputy chairman of the Health Care Organization of the West Bank and Gaza. After the death of his wife in 1978, Sabbagh created a foundation in her name that has made major contributions to education and to charities in the Middle East, the United States and elsewhere. In 1993, he signed an agreement with Georgetown University establishing the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding as a way to promote understanding between the Muslim world and the West, as well as between Islam and Christianity. He also endowed the Hasib J. Sabbagh Chair in Middle East Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in 1994. Businessman and philanthropist Hasib Sabbagh, right, attends a dinner in his honor at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy on September 17, 1997. At left is Baker Institute founding director Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian.
Jan 12, 2010 - AMERICAS PROJECT
The Americas Project's most recent conference drew participants from across Latin, Central and North America, with the goal of discussing ways to stabilize the region and move toward greater prosperity and peace. As part of the Baker Institute Latin American Initiative, the project brings together young leaders throughout the Americas to foster an informed and
open debate on issues critical to the peoples of the Western Hemisphere.
Jan 05, 2010 - AMBASSADOR RICO MOURNED
Carlos Rico, a visiting fellow for Latin American Affairs at
the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, has passed away. Rico had recently joined the institute, and was doing
research on U.S.-Mexico relations. As Mexico’s
former undersecretary for North America, he played a key role in the
development of the Merida
Initiative, a partnership between the United
States and Mexico and other Central American
countries to help control drug trafficking, money laundering and organized
crime. “Ambassador Rico’s expertise as a diplomat, scholar and
public policy practitioner will be greatly missed,” said institute founding
director Ambassador Edward Djerejian. “Our heartfelt condolences go out to his
family during this difficult time.” Rico was also a special adviser to the Consulate General of
Mexico in Houston, and had held several other key diplomatic posts, including
ambassador to Israel. His death was officially
announced by Mexican President Felipe Calderón.
Jan 05, 2010 - FUNDAMENTALS OF A SUSTAINABLE U.S. BIOFUELS POLICY
The United States is investing billions of dollars each year in subsidies and tax breaks to domestic ethanol producers in the hope that biofuels will become a major plank of an energy security and fuel diversification program. With the "Fundamentals of a Sustabainable U.S. Biofuels Policy" policy report and research paper, the Baker Institute Energy Forum and Rice University’s Department of
Civil and Environmental Engineering aim to assess the value of this expensive program and its potential to meet the goal of enhancing energy security in an environmentally sustainable fashion. The policy research seeks to identify the steps necessary to avoid unintended negative impacts on sustainable development and the environment, including deleterious impacts on domestic agriculture, surface and ground water, and overall air quality in the United States. It also addresses the daunting logistical and economic challenges of expanding biofuels supplies into the U.S. fuel system and examines the costs and benefits of different options. Study authors were: Pedro Alvarez
Joel G. Burken
James D. Coan
Marcelo E. Dias De Oliveira
Rosa Dominguez–Faus
Diego E. Gomez
Amy Myers Jaffe
Kenneth B. Medlock III
Susan E. Powers
Ronald Soligo
Lauren A. Smulcer
Jan 04, 2010 - THE RADICAL LEGACY OF 1979
Even as we enter the second decade of the 21st century, the lessons of previous decades are never far behind -- particularly when it comes to the Middle East.
As our founding director Ambassador Edward P. Djerejian notes in an op-ed published this past weekend in The Wall Street Journal, three events in 1979 have had dire consequences for the Middle East and long-term implications far beyond the region's borders.
The overthrow of the shah of Iran by the Ayatollah Khomeini was a watershed moment for anti-Western forces. The takeover of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, by a group of Islamic extremists and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan further fostered the forces of radicalization.
Prior to joining the Baker Institute, Ambassador Djerejian served as the U.S. ambassador to Israel, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and, before that, as ambassador to Syria.
Read the Jan. 1., 2010 Wall Street Journal op-ed, "The Radical Legacy of 1979"
Dec 22, 2009 - D.C. INTERNS
Through the Jesse Jones Leadership Center Summer in D.C. Policy Research Internship Program, the Baker Institute is doing its part to help prepare young Americans to deal with the critical policy problems they will have to solve. Since 2004, the institute has supported 41 Rice University students at summer research internships at 33 influential government agencies, think tanks and nongovernmental organizations in Washington, D.C. Participants attend a seminar on public policy and global affairs coterminous with their internships, write a research report for publication, present their work before Rice faculty and researchers, and organize a public education activity for the following academic year.
Nov 24, 2009 - TAX AWARD
Baker Institute Rice scholars George Zodrow and Peter Mieszkowski have won top honors from the National Tax Association (NTA). The NTA is the premier U.S. organization of specialists in government tax and expenditure policies and includes economists in academia, government and the private sector, as well as lawyers, accountants and other specialists in the field. Zodrow, who also holds the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Chair of Economics at Rice, received the Steven D. Gold Award, awarded annually to professionals who have made “significant contributions to state and local fiscal policy and whose work reflects Steve Gold’s remarkable ability to span the interests of scholars, practitioners, policymakers and advocates with integrity and evenhandedness.” The Daniel M. Holland Medal, with which Mieszkowski, a Rice professor emeritus of economics, was honored, is awarded for outstanding contributions to the study and practice of public finance. Holland, a former professor of economics at MIT, had “a lifelong interest in all aspects of public finance.” The NTA’s Web site explains, “He was a researcher and teacher with an interest in stimulating knowledge in the field. He was a practitioner who played a role in the implementation of fiscal reform." Read the Rice News article about Zodrow’s and Mieszkowski’s awards. 
Nov 12, 2009 - Thank You, Bob McNair
On Nov. 10, 2009, the Baker Institute honored Houston Texans owner Robert C. McNair at a black-tie dinner where he received the James A. Baker III Prize for Excellence in Leadership. The prize recognizes nationally and internationally renowned leaders for their excellence in public service and civic life, be it through achievements in government, business, science, education or philanthropy. Previous recipients are The Honorable Charles W. Duncan, Jr., and Gen. Colin L. Powell. Since coming to Houston more than 40 years ago, McNair and his wife Janice have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public service and civic life. At the Baker Institute, it’s difficult to overstate the importance of the McNairs’ generosity and leadership. From the very beginning, their strong support has played a key role in the institute’s development and expansion. The couple endowed the Janice and Robert McNair Chair in Public Policy, which today is held by our founding director, The Honorable Edward P. Djerejian, and shared former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III's vision of a world-class public policy think tank. It's no exaggeration to say that without the McNairs’ commitment, there might not be a Baker Institute today. “Bob and Janice understood the importance to Houston as an international city have a first-class public policy institute that could bridge the world of ideas and action,” Mr. Baker said.
Oct 26, 2009 - ENERGY FORUM BLOG
Written by members of the Energy Forum at the Baker Institute,
this blog appears on the Houston Chronicle's City Brights page.
Oct 26, 2009 - RICE PROVOST TO JOIN INSTITUTE
Sep 24, 2009 - BAKER INSTITUTE BLOG
The Baker Institute has launched a blog on The Houston Chronicle Web site. The blog will be a way to discuss subjects ranging from breaking political news, international issues and federal and state policy enactments to events at the Baker Institute and new research and publications.
Sep 21, 2009 - BAKER INSTITUTE REPORT 34
The Baker Institute Report is a biannual publication that reviews events and news from the Baker Institute and its fellows. Report 34 previews an October 2009 conference featuring notable statesmen involved in the post-Cold War reunification of Germany. The newsletter also features a celebration of 30 years of U.S.-China diplomatic relations, as well as conferences held by the Health Policy Forum, the Energy Forum, the Science and Technology Policy Program and others. There
is also a Q&A with Erika de la Garza, program director for the Baker Institute Latin American Initiative, and updates on student summer internships and Baker
Institute Student Forum.
Sep 01, 2009 - CYBER POLICY
Concern about potential threats to the nation’s computer networks —
data breaches, cyberwar and hackers — continues to grow every year.
Securing the national information infrastructure is a high priority,
but how is the problem being tackled outside Washington, D.C.? To
address these issues, the Baker Institute’s Technology, Society and
Public Policy Program convened a discussion involving those who
have worked on national cybersecurity policy and those in government,
academia and industry who are charged with implementing it. Contributing their thoughts were:
Aug 27, 2009 - OIL FUTURES
A new policy paper by Rice University’s
Baker Institute for Public Policy shows a clear increase in the size
and
influence of noncommercial traders, or “speculators,” in the oil
futures market
since regulations were eased by the Commodities Futures Modernization
Act of
2000. Speculators now constitute about 50 percent of those holding
outstanding
positions in the U.S.
oil futures market, compared with only about 20 percent prior to 2002.
The
report also finds that the correlation between oil and the dollar has
strengthened significantly over the past several years. The coauthors of “Who is in the Oil Futures Market
and How
Has It Changed?” — Kenneth Medlock and Amy Myers Jaffe — advocate that
the
government should revise its policies to reverse these trends. Kenneth
Medlock
is an energy fellow at the Baker Institute and adjunct professor of
economics.
Amy Myers Jaffe is a fellow in energy studies at the Baker Institute
and
associate director of the Rice Energy Program. Using data from the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission,
the authors state that the previous claims by the commission that
speculation
wasn’t influencing oil futures markets were based on inappropriate
analysis.
The authors present new evidence that speculative trading is playing an
increasingly important role in the oil market.
Aug 27, 2009 - U.S. GASOLINE POLICY
The Baker Institute strives to provide practical recommendations and relevant research to policymakers. With this goal in mind, the institute's fellows and scholars offer their recommendations for the Obama administration.
Read the paper on U.S. Gasoline Policy
